In first year back, Southwestern Michigan wrestling team wins annual MCCAA dual meet

It all came down to the last round of matches. Long time MCCAA powerhouse Muskegon Community College and Southwestern Michigan College, who are in their first season back after a 26-year hiatus, were both 4-0. Muskegon won the inaugural dual meet last year, while Southwestern Michigan College was working on building their team. So it seemed improbable that their match in the last round of the round robin would be win the meet. 

The meet, which was started last season does not have any bearing on the MCCAA championship, it was added to give the teams a chance to wrestle each other early in the season. The MCCAA Championship will be decided on January 28 at St. Clair County Community College at the MCCAA Individual Championship. 

In the 125 pound bout Muskegon jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a 15-2 major decision by Ayden Strutevant (Hesperia, MI/Hesperia) over the Roadrunners Jordan Simpson (Dowagiac, MI/Dowagiac). There was another 15-2 major decision, however this one tied the match as Southwestern Michigan's Gabe Livington (Battle Creek, MI/Lakeview) defeated Jacob Blawat (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer). At 141, Mathew Martinez (Battle Creek, MI/Lakeview) won by forfeit to give the Roadrunners 10-4 lead. They extended the lead to 13-4 at 149, as Zam Thompson (Stevensviile, MI/Lakeshore) defeated Max Brown (Whitehall, MI/Whitehall) by a score of 6-3. The Roadrunner run continued at 147 as Gabe Ensign (Constantine, MI/Constantine) scored an 11-3 major decision over the Jayhawks' Parker Holt (Whitehall, MI/Whitehall) to give Southwestern a 17-4 lead. 

Hunter Heath (Niles, MI/Brandywine) scored a fall in 4:21 over Rice Robins (Holton, MI/Holton) to extend the Roadrunners lead 23-4. Jared Checkley (Decatur, MI/Decatur) made it six straight wins for Southwestern as he scored a major decision over Gerrit Andrus (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) to run the lead to 27-4. Last year's Wrestler of the -Year Kayleb Venema (Whitehall, MI/Whitehall) scored a pin in 1:03 of Braxton Garza (South Bend, IN/Riley) to cut the Roadrunners' lead to 27-10with two matches left. At 197, Dakota Veltman (Byron Center, MI/Bryon Center) scored another major decision with 13-4 win over Vinny Patierno (Pinckney, MI/Pinckney). Coming into the final match at 285, Southwestern Michigan College led 27-14, when Shane Edwards (Battle Creek, MI/Pennfield) scored a fall 1:07 into the match over Jack Stuart (Whitehall, MI/Boise) to close out the win and claim first place at the meet with a 5-0 record. 

Muskegon CC finished second with a 4-1 record, St. Clair County CC was third at 3-2, Henry Ford College was fourth was a 2-3 mark. Mott Community College was fifth with a 1-4 record and Marian University's Ancilla College finished sixth at 0-5. The MCCAA teams will come together on Saturday, January 28 at St. Clair County Community College. The individual championship tournament will decided not only the individual champions in each weight class, the All-MCCAA award winners and Wrestler and Freshman of the Year but also the MCCAA team champion.